Pretty Jodie Sawyer (Amanda Schull),rebellious Eva Rodriguez (Zoe Saldana) and Maureen Cummings (Susan May Pratt) are new roommates in the American Ballet Academy in NYC. Both Jodie and Eva are new to the program. Maureen has been there since 9 and has the best techniques. Jonathan (Peter Gallagher) runs the company and is choosing dancers for the final gala. Maureen is supposedly the top girl. Eva has the ability but her attitude clash with the teacher Juliette (Donna Murphy). Jodie seems to be the weakest but she has IT.

It's a lot of pretty people dancing. The story has been told many times before. I'm sure some are even about ballet schools. This one brings the big archetypes. I don't think Amanda Schull has a big enough presence to justify being the lead with the IT factor. There is a lot of dancing that doesn't actually add to the story drama. Unless this is only for ballet lovers, those scenes should be trimmed. This doesn't have the edginess or surprises. However it follows the formula quite well.

A group of young dancers 'fight' against each other to be selected in a workshop promoted by ABA (American Ballet Academy). Only a few of them will have a chance to be professional dancers, but all of them love to dance.

The movie focuses the plot in Jody Sawyer (the delicious, gorgeous, graceful Amanda Schull - what a beautiful woman she is!); the rebel Eva Rodriguez (Zoe Saldana); and the anorexic Maureen Cummings (Susan May Pratt),in the female side, and Cooper Nielson (Ethan Stiefel) and Charlie Sims (Sascha Radetsky) in the male side. There are many other secondary characters that participate in the plot, like the mother of Maureen, the director of the company Jonathan Reeves (Peter Gallagher) and many others. The first point that impresses is the number of characters, all of them well defined in the plot having a major or a minor participation in the storyline. Second, the natural and powerful acting of these young and unknown actors and dancers. It seems that they are indeed fighting for a chance to be recognized by Hollywood as great actors and actresses, trying to show their skills to the studios. It shows a splendid direction of the excellent Nycholas Hytner. The choreography and soundtrack are also great. Certainly it is a lovely and wonderful film, highly indicated for fans of 'Fame', dance, ballet and good movies. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Sob a Luz da Fama" ("Under the Spotlight of the Fame")

Note: On 17 February 2018 I saw this film again.

What makes this something unique? What the difference with other movies about dancers?.

I just can tell I'm not a fan of the dance things, I mean I really hate those many pop singers who abuse of the dance to hide their bad work, so for year I was avoiding these movies.

But when I saw the music video of this film, something was different, there was not the same old story with the cast of pop stars trying to show they are more than a cute face. There was a cast of amazing dancers showing the best of them in just a few minutes.

So, finally I found myself watching this movie with the strange desire about an endless story. Weird, but for one who doesn't like the dance, this was a discover of whole new world were the dancers and the cast make an incredible work in a story who deserve to be with the classic of these themes.

This movie it's not shallow love story of a group of teenagers trying to become in big stars, it's about the crash of the passion and the reality, the time when the real love for something has to be tested to found the perfect place in the universe of the society, something that it's hard to find in a good film.